The present invention relates generally to communications between a client and a content source in a communication system which includes a radio part, such as a radio part employing the WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) standard and more particularly, to an apparatus and an associated method for providing OOB (Out-of-Band) messages to the client.
Advancements in communication technologies have permitted the introduction and popularization of new types of communication systems. As a result of such advancements, e.g., significant increases in the rates of data transmission have been permitted and new types of communication services have also been made possible. Advancements in digital communication techniques are amongst the advancements in communication technologies which have permitted the introduction of new types of communication systems.
A radio communication system is exemplary of a type of communication system which has benefited from advancements in communication technologies and the use of digital communication techniques.
In a radio communication system, at least a portion of a communication path formed during communications therein includes a radio-link. Improvements in communication mobility are provided through use of a radio communication system as communication channels defined upon the radio-link in such a system are formed of radio channels and do not require wireline connections for their formation. The portion of the communication system which includes the radio-link is sometimes referred to as the radio part of the communication system.
Digital communication techniques have- been utilized in radio communication systems, thereby permitting improvement of communication capacities in such systems as well as permitting the implementation of new communication services. For instance, packet radio services are possible through the use of digital communication techniques. Such packet radio services have been proposed for several radio communication systems to permit the communication of packet data. The communication of packet data, in general, involves the formatting of groups of digital bits into packets to form packets of data. The packets of data are communicated, either individually, or in groups, at discrete intervals. Once received, the packets of data are concatenated together to recreate the informational content of the digital bit of which the packets are formed.
Examples of packet radio services which have been proposed, or already implemented, include multi-media services, messaging services, distribution services, dispatching services, and retrieval services. Retrieval of content provided pursuant to the World Wide Web (www) of the Internet is exemplary of a retrieval service.
Revenues which support the content providers of content retrievable pursuant to the www are typically generated through subscription payment, service charges, click fees, and advertising. In a subscription payment, a user pays a cyclic, for example, monthly, quarterly, yearly, etc., fee in order to access the services and contents that are retrieved. Service charge is referred to charges paid by a user to receive performance of a service. Click fees refer to charges accruing to a user based upon simple metrics, such as links followed, duration of contact, or other measurable use of a content source.
And, advertising refers to third party payments to a content provider for the display of promotional messages, typically including the links which permit a user to follow the links to obtain additional content regarding the advertised material.
Generally, existing retrieval services over the www are effectuated by a user of a conventional computer, such as a personal computer. Content is displayed in the form of screens displayable upon a conventional computer screen, or the like. Both desired informational content as well as advertising regularly forms a single screen. Therefore, when a user uses the desired content, the advertising message is also displayed.
However, in a radio communication system, the client, that is, the mobile station or other device utilized by a user, shall not necessarily, and perhaps shall likely not, have a display element of dimensions permitting the display of a screen containing both the informational content and the advertising. Network systems employing the WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) standard utilizing OOB (Out-of-Band) messaging have been proposed. When using OOB messaging, advertising is displayed on the display element of the mobile station, sometimes hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cclient,xe2x80x9d and thereafter display the informational content on the display element of the mobile station.
Push messages, that is, a synchronous notifications, as well as alerts, and notification are also exemplary OOB messages. While the aforementioned WAP standard is permitting of the transport of OOB messages, such as push messages, the existing WAP standard fails to define a push mechanism.
Difficulties are, however, associated with retrieval services, in which content is to be provided to a portable mobile station. That is to say, in a conventional system, a content provider provides both the content as well as the advertising. Special hardware and software for the computer server from which the content and advertising originates is required. The need for such special hardware and software at the computer server used by the content provider increases its complexity.
It would be advantageous, therefore, if a manner could be devised which could better provide OOB messages to the client pursuant to retrieval services.
It would be further advantageous if a manner could be devised which could better provide a synchronous communications, such as push messages, alerts, and notifications.
It is in light of this background information related to the communication of OOB messages that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.
The present invention, accordingly, advantageously provides an apparatus and an associated method for providing OOB (Out-of-Band) messages to a client in a communication system which includes a radio part.
The OOB messages are provided to the client by a radio part gateway which forms at least part of the communication path upon which communications with the client are effectuated. In a communication system which employs the WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) standard, the gateway may be a WAP gateway.
In one aspect of the present invention, a synchronous, OOB messages are provided to the client. Alerts, notifications, and push messages are exemplary of a synchronous messages. PIM notifications, paging services, and location-based notifications all are exemplary of services possible pursuant to operation of an embodiment of the present invention.
In another aspect of the present invention, OOB messages are provided by the gateway to the client responsive to requests made by the client for content from a content provider. When an initial request is made for initial content, the request is communicated by way of the gateway to the content source. When the content is returned by the content source, the content is provided to a filter which at least selectably parses the content to detect links in the content selectable by a user, when displayed at the client, or additional content. The links identify URLs of locations at which the additional content is sourced. The filter flags URLs within the content so that the gateway is aware that OOB messages can be provided when selection is made at the client to request such additional content. The original, initial content is then provided to the client together with URL modifications to permit flagging of possible OOB message URLs. When selection is made at the client to request such additional content, the request is provided to a gateway.
When detected at the gateway, an OOB message, such as an advertising display, is returned to the client and, the gateway generates a substitute request which is forwarded to the content source at which the additional content is sourced. The OOB message is thereby displayed at the client during the pendency of the substitute request for the additional content generated by the gateway.
In one embodiment, the OOB message is displayed at the client for at least a minimum, selected time period, subsequent to which the client generates a new request for the additional content, which, if necessary, is stored at the gateway subsequent to retrieval from the content source of the additional content. Filtering of the additional content further permits additional OOB messages to be provided to the client in analogous manners during pendency of subsequent requests. In an exemplary implementation, the communication system can include a radio part which is operable pursuant to the WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) standard. The radio part interfaces with a WAP gateway through which all communications with the client are routed. However, a radio part is not necessary for routing client communications. Other communication paths can include for example POTS and PSTN and other known mediums and protocols.
An embodiment of the present invention forms additional apparatus for a gateway through which an owner, or operator, of the gateway is provided with the capability to send OOB messages to a client which utilizes the gateway for communications. OOB messages are displayed, e.g., during an interval between a request originating from the client and a reply returning from the content source, typically an origin server. The OOB messages can contain any type of content and can be used for any application in which OOB messaging is appropriate. An OOB message forming an advertising display is an exemplary message which is communicated to the client during operation of an embodiment of the present invention. In alternate implementations, asynchronous messages, such as push messages, are provided to the client.
In an embodiment of the present invention, advantage is made of the communication path which extends between the client and content source of the communication system which may include a WAP, or other wireless-protocol, part. All communications with the client in such a communication system typically must pass through the gateway. Wireless communication system implementation is predicated on the traditional, narrow bandwidth of wireless connections, in contrast to conventional wireline communication paths. Because of the narrow band width, the rate of data transfer on a wireless-link is relatively slow. The WAP standard requires that all content communicated upon the wireless-link be encoded prior to its transmission to the client. And, when a request is originated at a client and communicated upon a wireless-link, request headers of the request must be decoded prior to forwarding of the request by the gateway to the content source. In other words, the WAP, or other gateway, forms a central point of contact between client and content source during operation of the system. Advantage is taken of the fact that the gateway is the central point of contact during operation of the various embodiments of the present invention.
In these and other aspects, therefore, an apparatus, and an associated method, is provided for a gateway of a communication system in which data is communicated between a client and at least a first content source upon a communication path. The gateway provides an Out-of-Band message to the client. An Out-of-Band message source is coupled to receive at least one Out-of-Band message, the at least one Out-of-Band message selectably to be communicated to the client. A selector is coupled to the Out-of-Band message source. The selector selects whether to communicate to the client a selected Out-of-Band message to which the Out-of-Band message source is coupled to receive.
A more complete description of the present invention and the scope thereof can be obtained from the accompanying drawings which are briefly summarized below, the following detailed description of the presently-preferred embodiments of the invention, and the appended claims.